


How Do You Like My Darkness Now?

by Thraceadams



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post 3a
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:45:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thraceadams/pseuds/Thraceadams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek's back in town and the first person he runs into is Allison. Because she's out hunting. Just like she has every single night since the lunar eclipse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Do You Like My Darkness Now?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to aislinntlc for the beta! Any remaining mistakes are mine :D
> 
> EDITED: (Thanks to Bleep0Bleep for use of her disclaimer)
> 
> **This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader. I do not give permission to this work being shared with or read aloud by the press, or anyone working on said production of Teen Wolf, including but not limited to cast, crew, writers, or producers. I also do not give permission to share this work on third-party websites such as Goodreads, which I believe is a resource intended for published works outside of fandom.**

**How Do You Like My Darkness Now?**

 

She ran quietly through the forest and stopped abruptly. Her head whipped around, her bow at the ready, an arrow notched. Closing her eyes, she listened. Crickets chirped, trees rustled, a small animal scurried nearby. Otherwise? There was nothing. Her shoulders drooped. She'd been hoping for a fight.

 

Allison trudged back through the woods, careful where she stepped, still maintaining the silence of a hunter. It wasn't long before she found herself at the nemeton. It was like this every night. She'd end up here, staring at it. Wondering.

 

"Out hunting?"

 

"Didn't know you were back in town," she replied, turning around slowly, her hand tightening on her bow. No sense in not looking surprised, he could hear her heart racing at being startled.

 

Derek shrugged. "Just got back."

 

"Cora with you?"

 

"Nope. She's down in Baja. Said she liked the surfing."

 

Allison cocked an eyebrow. "Never would have pegged her for a surfer."

 

Derek's lips curled up in a self-conscious grin. "Yeah, me neither."

 

"So, why'd you come back?"

 

Another shrug. "Didn't have anywhere else to go? Shitty things happened here but it's still home."

 

"Hmmm," Allison said softly.

 

"What are you doing out here?"

 

"Hunting."

 

"Right. You know you're on Hale property, right?"

 

"There weren't any Hales here to watch it."

 

"Well, there is now."

 

"So, you're back for good then? Not gonna run off again without a word? Leave everyone in a lurch?" Allison spat, her anger getting the better of her. "Scott's only been a werewolf for like two seconds. And he knows fuck all about being a damn Alpha and you left! You left right when we…" her voice trailed off. She wasn't about to tell Derek what they'd done. If he hadn't cared enough to stay before, she sure as hell wasn't going to let him use what they did as a reason to martyr himself. "Just go. You should go."

 

"So you three idiots didn't do something so monumentally stupid as to make Beacon Hills a beacon for all things evil?"

 

She gasped.

 

He laughed, bitterly. "As if we didn't have enough trouble as it was. You three go and open a fucking door you can't close."

 

"What the hell else were we supposed to do? Your psycho girlfriend was going to kill our parents, or don't you remember that?"

 

"I would have saved them," Derek grumbled.

 

A bark of harsh laughter split the air. "Right and when were you going to do that? Before or after you joined sides with her to fight against Deucalion?"

 

"It was the right thing to do."

 

"She killed nine people! Nine people, Derek! Three of them were virgins, one of them was Stiles' friend Heather."

 

"Yeah, well, Deucalion would never have been the threat he was if it hadn't been for your Grandfather."

 

"I will freely admit Gerard is a psycho –"

 

"Is? You mean he's still alive? Does Scott know?"

 

"Derek, he's in a nursing home. In a wheelchair. He can't get around by himself and he's constantly leaking that black goop all the time. He's not going anywhere. And yes, Scott knows."

 

Derek huffed and turned away from her.

 

"You don't have a lot of room to talk, we're doing the best we can."

 

"Why are you out here?"

 

"I told you, hunting."

 

"Really? Because that's not what your Dad says."

 

"Wait, when did you talk to my Dad?"

 

"Tonight."

 

"It's two am!"

 

"Yes, and there were lights on so I stopped in. Wanted to let him know I was back in town. He was up, cleaning his guns and I'm pretty sure the amber liquid by his elbow was scotch."

 

Allison bit her lip and turned away, shocked and embarrassed at the hot rush of tears she felt burning behind her eyes. Shamed that all her anger drained out of her when he mentioned her father. "He worries, about me, about all of us," she whispered. "Ever since we went into those ice water baths, there's this darkness. Scott denies it, but I know Stiles feels it, he's been hallucinating. And me? I can't sleep, all I do is hunt and patrol, waiting for whatever is coming. It's like this itch under my skin that I can't scratch, it doesn't go away. We never talk about it, my Dad I mean, or Scott. Sometimes Stiles and I do, but my Dad? He knows I go out at night. He's always up waiting for me, a tumbler of scotch beside him. I come back exhausted and when I wake, the itch is still there."

 

He came up behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, she turned, buried her face in his chest. "Is it ever going to go away? What will I do if it doesn't? I can't live like this! None of us can and just when we needed you, you left. Damn you." She pulled back and smacked him right in the chest. It was so satisfying she did it again, then she balled up her fist and hit him. "Damn you!" she yelled, hitting him again and again until his arms wrapped around her and pulled her into his body.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured over and over into her hair.

 

When she finally stilled, he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry."

 

"Don't be. I mean, all this is pretty much Kate's fault. My family did this," she said dully.

 

He drew back, his hands tight on her arms. "This is not your fault."

 

"Well, it's not yours either, so stop acting like it."

 

He snorted, "I will if you will."

 

Allison gave him a small smile. "Deal."

 

"Good. Now, how about I walk you home?"

 

"You know I can take care of myself, right? I'm not some damsel in distress."

 

"Yes, all too well, I know that. But my mother raised me to be chivalrous, so would you just let me walk you home? I'd feel better."

 

"Okay."

 

Most of the walk was spent in silence, but as they turned into her driveway, Allison stopped. "Thank you, you know, for…"

 

"You're welcome. And maybe instead of hunting? Why don't you come over and spar with me. I promise I won't pull my punches."

 

"I think that's an excellent idea. She could use a worthy opponent."

 

They both turned to see Chris standing in the doorway. "Would you like to come in for a nightcap Derek?"

 

"No, thank you."

 

Chris raised his glass, probably the same one Derek saw, with the same scotch. Allison wasn't sure he ever actually drank it, just poured it. "Or, you could always spar over here. We have a training room, um, not the one in the basement," his face flushed. "I built a shed out in the backyard –"

 

"Dad, it's a bit bigger than a shed," Allison chided him.

 

"Okay, you're right, it's like our own private gym. I converted the basement to an inside archery range for her. Anyway, think about it, it's up to you."

 

"Thank you, Chris. I will."

 

They watched him go back inside the house, leaving the door opened behind him. "I guess I should head inside," Allison hiked a thumb back at the house. Her cheeks pinked up. "Thank you, for tonight, for listening, for letting me hit you."

 

And for the first time since he surprised her in the forest, Derek grinned and it was genuine. She could see it in his eyes.

 

"You're welcome.  Goodnight, Allison."

 

"Night."

 

She watched him turn and start walking away but before he disappeared into the dark, she called out to him. "Derek?"

 

When he turned, she ran out to him, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good man, Derek." She grinned at him, cupped his cheek, and stroked her thumb over it. "Don't ever forget that." Without another word, she ran back to the house and shut the door.

 

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> This is for naushika for Tashmas over on [Unicornify](http://unicornify.livejournal.com/)
> 
> Also, title is a line Buffy said, in the season five premiere "Dracula" because Allison sometimes reminds me of Buffy and Faith mixed together.


End file.
